Wild Japan in Winter

Japan is a unique and fascinating country to explore. This beautiful chain of islands, born of the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, is a perplexing mix of the ultra-modern and ancient. Vast cities that never sleep are lit by a kaleidoscope of neon and kept moving by futuristic technology and automation, the likes of which we have yet to see further west. Beneath this veneer of westernisation, however, lies a country and people steeped in its own very distinctive history and tradition. Ancient temples lie alongside towering skyscrapers and the Japanese people themselves — some of the warmest, politest and welcoming one could hope to meet — are reluctant to loosen their grip on the past and still practise many of the traditions of old where etiquette, rituals and respect play an important part in everyday life.

There is so much more to Japan, however, than its busy and populous cities. The islands stretch for over 3,000 kilometres from north to south and encompass a wide range of landscapes and habitats, from subtropical beaches to frozen forests and towering volcanoes, all of which are home to a fascinating array of birds, mammals and other wildlife. Although each season holds its own wildlife attractions, the winter months are particularly exciting. Hokkaido’s resident Redcrowned Cranes and Blakiston’s Fish Owls are joined by wintering Steller’s Sea Eagles, whilst further south the Japanese Macaques of Honshu slip in and out of their warm thermal baths and large numbers of Hooded and White-naped Cranes descend on the southern island of Kyushu to escape the Siberian chill. These were the key goals of our three ‘Wild Japan in Winter’ tours that ran in January and February this year, the first of which I was fortunate enough to co-lead and join up with Naturetrek tour leader Duncan McNiven and 12 very friendly and enthusiastic clients. 

After an initial night in Tokyo, we flew north to the snow-covered island of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island where the temperature at this time of year hovers around freezing during the day and plunges much lower at night. Here we met our delightful guide, Sono, before driving (after lunch) the short distance to Tsurumidai for our first look at the stunning Japanese or Red-crowned Cranes, around 100 of which had gathered in a snowy field to feed. From time to time a pair would start bugling and then leap into the air, stretching their necks and fanning their wings. This would then set off another pair, and another! The crisp winter light was perfect and the keen photographers in the group enjoyed capturing some stunning images!

Over the next 24 hours we had plenty of time to enjoy these beautiful birds including a sunrise visit to the Otowa Bridge over the Setsuri-gawa River where a couple of hundred cranes roost each night. It was yet another stunning spot, which became even more beautiful as the sun slowly rose, lighting the hoar frost that encrusted the riverside trees and shining through the mist that rose from the water. All the time the sound of trumpeting cranes drifted up the river towards us and, through the binoculars, pairs could be seen flapping and dancing whilst others slept or slowly fed in the shallows, all to the backdrop of a frozen and frosty landscape … breathtaking!

Part of the joy of travelling through Japan is experiencing the local culture, food and accommodation. Throughout our time in Hokkaido we stayed in 'ryokan', traditional Japanese inns (all rooms en suite) where the staff lay out a comfortable futon on which to sleep while you are having your traditional Japanese dinner of sashimi, tempura, rice and other delights. Most also have a thermal bath, called ‘onsen’, where you can defrost after a day in the field!

Moving north through a beautiful landscape of snowy mountains and icy forests we arrived in the small fishing town of Rausu on the edge of the Nemuro Strait and overlooking the Russian Kuril Islands in the distance. Here we joined two boat trips and all enjoyed stunning eye-to-eye encounters with numerous Steller’s Sea Eagles and their smaller cousins, Whitetailed Eagles. The crew started by throwing fish overboard and encouraging eagles of both species to swoop down alongside the boat at point blank range. After enjoying this for a while, we cruised alongside the harbour breakwater for eye-level encounters with more Steller’s Sea Eagles sitting and feeding on the high snow-covered wall. The birds were wonderfully close and the opportunities for getting frame-filling photos of these powerful raptors were just superb. Indeed, on our second cruise we counted over 150 eagles lined up along the breakwater, the majority of which were Steller's! 

The excitement didn’t stop at sunset, however, for a short distance from Rausu there is a hide overlooking a small stream where a Blakiston’s Fish Owl — one of the world’s largest and rarest owls — regularly feeds. We could not have been more fortunate, for we had wonderful views of this stunning bird on two consecutive evenings out of Rausu and then another at Dai Ichi Onsen the following night. Other birds and mammals seen in Hokkaido included Whooper Swan, Harlequin Duck, Black Scoter, Ancient Murrelet, Solitary Snipe, Brown Dipper, Snow Bunting, Sika Deer and the rare Japanese Sable.

Moving south once again to Tokyo we visited the grounds of the Imperial Palace in the centre of the city before taking the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Nagano, which lies some 240 kilometres to the east, but took only 90 minutes to reach. This was to be our base whilst we visited the Jigokudani ('Hell Valley') Reserve to see the Japanese Macaques that regularly bathe in the hot springs along the Yokoyu River, and then the Zenkoji Temple on the edge of Nagano, the most important Buddhist shrine in Japan. Incidentally, the temple grounds also held Japanese Grosbeak, Bull-headed Shrike, Brambling and Dusky Thrush.

En route back to Tokyo we spent a morning in the snowy forests of Karuizawa where we found Meadow Bunting, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Varied Tit and a beautiful flock of Japanese Waxwings. From here the Shinkansen whisked us back to Tokyo once again for the final night of the main tour. My time in Japan ended, however, with the extension group down on the southern island of Kyushu. Here around 15,000 Hooded Cranes and smaller numbers of White-naped Cranes spend the winter months alongside an interesting range of other birds. The view from the roof of the Arasaki Crane Centre at sunrise was spectacular. Thousands of cranes carpeted the fields in front of the centre with many hundreds more flying in over our heads. Although the cranes are the main attraction here, there is an interesting variety of other wintering and resident species to be found in the vicinity such as Chestnut-eared Bunting, Red-flanked Bluetail, Daurian Redstart, Crested Kingfisher, Black-faced and Eurasian Spoonbills, Long-billed Plover and Black-tailed Gull.

And so ended our inaugural ‘Wild Japan in Winter’ tour. It had been an unforgettable two weeks of iconic wildlife, beautiful landscapes and fascinating culture. I was surprised just how close and confiding many of the key species had been and, as a result, what outstanding opportunities this presented to the keen photographers in our group. Winter is a wonderful time of the year to visit Japan, but the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ also has a great deal to offer during the other seasons, from the ‘blanket’ of cherry blossom that sweeps north in the spring, to a summer of flowers and birds in Hokkaido.

For more information, to book, or to enquire, please visit the Wild Japan in Winter tour page.